Hadi faces walkout at PAS muktamar tomorrow

PAS president may face a walkout tomorrow at the party's muktamar. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 17, 2014.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang may face a walkout at the party's muktamar tomorrow after a similar move by a group of PAS Youth delegates during his deputy Mohamad Sabu's speech at the wing's muktamar yesterday, said social media users.

A group, believed to be linked to the anti-professional faction and calling itself El-Haraki on Facebook, had challenged Hadi's detractors to do so when the Islamist party head delivers his speech tomorrow.

"We got news that Mat Sabu and his gang are preparing strategies to walk out of the hall when the president takes to the stage to address the delegates. Go, no one is worried or afraid," the posting on the Facebook page said, referring to Mohamad's popular moniker.

It was reported that some 50 out of 700 delegates at the youth wing's muktamar walked out when Mat Sabu began his speech.

However, Mat Sabu, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub and youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat had dismissed reports of any walkouts.

"I did not see it but I know the time that they exited was prayer time. It is normal to go in and out as it was prayer time," Mat Sabu said yesterday.

Media reports had noted that those who left the assembly hall yesterday were wearing vests that read "We support the president and ulama".

Their actions had been villified by social media users who felt the move was disrespectful.

"Who are you compared with Abang Mat, you can't even take on the tips of his nails," Zulkifli Yacob, a former PAS Kelantan youth chief and former Youth exco, wrote on his Facebook page.

He said Mat Sabu had always been consistent in his fight against Umno.

"The jail is like his second home, Kamunting camp is like his kampung, falling or rising, getting bouquets or brickbats is his daily meals, the millions of ringgit obtained from his ceramahs are all for the party.

"If he has any weaknesses, it is not the cause for all of you to reject the million services he had given for this struggle," he wrote in reference to the walkout.

There were also those who criticised the walkout as giving the impression of good manners for showing loyalty towards the party president.

Mahmud Zaim Musa added: "Their actions gave the impression that it is the result of tarbiyyah and wala doctrine towards the president and Syura council."

However, there were also those who felt the move was appropriate since Mat Sabu was deemed not in line with Hadi and the Syura council stand.

The Selangor menteri besar crisis opened up a chasm between Hadi and the Syura Council and the rest of the party's central committee.

The Syura Council along with Hadi were recently criticised for overstepping their boundaries in deciding the candidates for the Selangor MB’s post.

The party’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau said the party’s constitution had no provision that allowed Hadi as president to make decisions unilaterally.

The Syura Council had backed Hadi in submitting the names of two PKR and one PAS assemblymen to the Selangor palace.

Hadi’s decision broke ranks with PAS’s allies, DAP and PKR, who only submitted PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s name for the menteri besar post.

- TMI